The present invention relates to irrigation sprinklers and pertains particularly to an improved multi-nozzle rack and method of making same.
The artificial distribution of water through irrigation systems is in wide use throughout the world today. There are many irrigation systems utilized, with each having its own benefits and drawbacks.
One of the most widely used systems, particularly where water is not abundant or plentiful, is a sprinkler system wherein a plurality of sprinkler units are positioned about a land area for distributing water over the surface of the land area. Such systems are widely used for lawns, golf courses, playing fields and many field crops.
Most sprinkler units currently used have replaceable nozzles wherein different nozzles may be selected and mounted in the sprinkler unit to achieve desired range and rate of coverage. A given irrigation system may have many different sprinkler units of the same type, with each having many different nozzles for different reaches and/or arcs of coverage. It may also be desirable or necessary to change nozzles often for a given area to obtain an optimum precipitation rate or area of coverage.
It is also desirable that an installer be able to stock one model of sprinkler unit and select the nozzle having the desired parameters for coverage and the like after the sprinkler unit is installed. In a prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,411 of assignee hereof a quick mount nozzle system is disclosed wherein nozzles are colored to identify at least one major parameter so that they may be quickly and easily selected and installed in a sprinkler unit. In accordance with that prior invention, nozzles having a common parameter such as flow rate, for example, are usually molded of the same color and molded in racks of multiple nozzles. Thus, several different colored racks may be packaged with a sprinkler unit. It would be desirable to have a single rack having multiple nozzles of different colors identifying common characteristics to package with a sprinkler unit. It would be desirable to provide all possible nozzles on a common rack with a sprinkler unit. It would be desirable to be able to mold all nozzle variations in a single mold. It would also be desirable to have sets of nozzles of different colors on a common rack.
Accordingly, it is desirable that a sprinkler system be available having a plurality of sprinkler nozzles that are on a common rack and color coded different colors for providing desired coverage over a wide range of arcs and spacings.